International Spy Museum

This past January, I visited Washington D.C. for the first time. I visited a few historical sites and museums, one of which was the International Spy Museum. Its big draw for me was its Bond villain exhibit, but there were other surprises to enjoy inside as well. There was a little section containing some items related to Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning Argo.

The fake screenplay for “Argo” that was used in the film.

“Planet of the Apes” prosthetics by Oscar winner John Chambers, who figured prominently in “Argo.”

There was a small screening room called the Cloak and Dagger Theater, which played two animated shorts as well as some old spy-related newsreels. The first short shown was a Disney-animated 1942 short called The New Spirit featuring Donald Duck. It was followed by a newsreel regarding the FBI catching a spy ring using evidence captured on film. This was followed by a newsreel on thoughtlessness during war (in this case World War II). The next animated short shown was 1943’s Spies featuring Private Snafu. This was then followed by a March of Time newsreel on the FBI.

I even stumbled upon a section about Hollywood’s involvement in the war effort. There were dedications to Marlene Dietrich, who spied for the U.S., Sterling Hayden, who served under the name John Hamilton, and John Ford, who served in the U.S. Navy and made the Oscar-winning documentary short The Battle of Midway.

John Ford’s Oscar statuette for “The Battle of Midway,” courtesy of the John Ford estate.

And finally, I reached the main event: Exquisitely Evil: Fifty Years of Bond Villains. There were loads of poster art, props, bios, concept art, merchandise, and various items from all of the James Bond movies on display. The slideshow below is just a sampling of what’s on display. I had a great time when I visited this museum and picked up some cool stuff in the gift shop. I encourage everyone to visit the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C. to check out this exhibit while it’s still there. Enjoy!